Freya vs Inger
Freya and Ingercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Inger #292 among girls in Norway.
Freya and Inger over time
Freya and Inger appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Freya held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Inger in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Inger reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Freya in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Freya moved ahead of Inger in Norway · Girls — #223 and #215 the year before became #189 and #333.
- Mirrored each other
Over 20 shared years in Norway · Girls, Freya rose about as far as Inger fell — from #326 and #179 in 2005 to #147 and #292 in 2025.
List by list
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Inger in 8.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Inger #169 in 2006.
The order changed in 2016: Freya moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #223 and #215; by 2016 that had become #189 and #333.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, Inger #292.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Freya | Inger |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old Norse | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #292 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Freya has a recorded origin (Old Norse); Inger does not have one recorded yet.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Inger.
- A meaning is recorded for Freya; Inger doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Freya a "high" Data Confidence level and Inger a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Freya
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2024–2025).
Scotland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Inger
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #2 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #292 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls